The European border protection agency Frontex has confirmed an incident in which 92 refugees are said to have been driven naked across the Evros border river from Turkey to Greece on Friday.
Officials from the EU agency supported the Greek border officials in rescuing the people, a spokeswoman for the agency said last night. They then reported that the people were found almost naked and some were visibly injured. The incident was immediately forwarded to the Frontex officer responsible for fundamental rights in order to investigate a possible violation of human rights.
Mutual finger pointing
Athens and Ankara blamed each other for the incident over the weekend. The Greek civil protection minister, Takis Theodorikakos, spoke of barbaric behavior reminiscent of the Middle Ages. The Turkish deputy interior minister, on the other hand, tweeted that Greece was trying to foist on Turkey’s own cruelty.
Greek authorities and media had previously published a photo showing the naked people. Some refugees reported that they were transported to the border in three vehicles owned by the Turkish authorities and put in rubber boats to cross the river.
Frontex and the Greek border guards clothed and cared for the people, the border protection agency said. The people are said to come from Afghanistan, Syria and Pakistan.
